Introduction

Sue Suprianos Steppin Out of Babylon is a radio interview series covering a broad range of important issues in todays world: peace and war, human and civil rights, communication, the media, the environment, food security, racism, globalization, immigration and matters of the spirit. Over 250 shows are available at this site!

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Omar Freilla

Environmental Justice: Greenworker Cooperatives in the South Bronx, New York

Omar Freilla is the Founder/Director of Greenworker Cooperatives in the South Bronx, New York. He was in San Francisco speaking as part of the Social Equity track arranged by the Ella Baker Center in Oakland, Ca. during United Nations Environmental Day/Week in San Francisco in June 2005.

Freilla speaks about the particular issues of "environmental justice" in the South Bronx-- how those things we take for granted and are "out of sight, out of mind" such as sewage from flush toilets and garbage and toxic dumping negatively effect the community of the South Bronx. He mentions the waste water company Synagrow in the S. Bronx which takes sewage sludge, heats it, puts it in pellets still loaded with heavy metals and sells it as fertilizer including for oranges for Florida Natural and Tropicana juice companies. This company has the nerve to be applying for organic certification. He also goes into how 50,000 tons of trash per day is produced in New York as well as 14,000 tons of construction and demolition debris. Much of this ends of in the South Bronx.

The good news is that much of this can be recycled in a better way thus creating "green jobs" and a new economy for the S. Bronx community based on creating sustainability. The first Greenworker Cooperative which recyles perfectly good construction material has been formed in the South Bronx and there are plans for many more worker cooperatives. There is much to recycle-- for example, glass into glass tiles, rubber into many things that are now plastic, plastic itself and on and on. These cooperatives are worker-owned and managed and the workers share the profits. Very inspiring and hopeful!